Biblical names draw chiefly from Hebrew and Aramaic, with later Greek and Latin transmission. Many are theophoric compounds invoking Israelite deity names: elements with El and Yah/Yahu appear as suffixes and prefixes, as in Daniel (“-el”), Ezekiel, Joel (“-el”), Isaiah/Hezekiah (“-iah/-yahu”), and forms with Jeho-/Jo- (Jehoshaphat, Jonathan). Structures often pair a divine element with a verb or attribute (Nathaniel “God has given,” Zechariah “Yah has remembered”). Common endings include -iah/-yahu, -el, and -am. New Testament usage introduces Greek and Aramaic forms and particles such as bar- “son of” (Bartholomew, Barnabas). Greek and Latin renderings add -os/-as and -us/-a endings (Iōannēs → Latin Iohannes → John; Saulos/Paulos → Paul; Maria from Mariam/Miryam).
Typical meanings reference God’s actions, virtues, or circumstances of birth. Biblical forms often have multiple established variants across languages due to the Septuagint and Vulgate. Modern usage mixes original Semitic forms (Noam, Yonatan) with Hellenized or Latinized forms (Thomas, Peter, Matthew, Anna), and many names exist side by side in parallel versions (Miriam/Maria/Mary; Yeshua/Jesus; Yaakov/Jacob/James). There is no single contemporary pattern beyond this layered transmission.
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis | Origin; beginning; creation | Biblical, English, Greek | Unisex | 37,132 #1 | |
| Bethany | House of figs (also interpreted as 'house of affliction' or 'house of the poor') | Biblical | Girl | 4,919 #2 | |
| Samaria | From the biblical region of Samaria; 'watch mountain' or 'guarded place' | Biblical, Hebrew | Girl | 741 #3 | |
| Cainan | Possession; acquired | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | 318 #4 | |
| Manasseh | He who causes to forget; "God has made me forget" | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | 198 #5 | |
| Kush | From Sanskrit 'Kusha' meaning sacred grass used in Hindu rituals; also the name of one of Rama's sons in Hindu tradition and historically associated with the Kingdom of Kush (Nubia). | Biblical, Hebrew, Indian, Sanskrit | Boy | 179 #6 | |
| Cana | Name of the biblical village Cana; etymology uncertain, possibly 'place of reeds' or related to a Semitic root. | Biblical | Girl | 150 #7 | |
| Shadrach | Possibly "command of Aku" (Babylonian deity); exact meaning uncertain/obscure. | Biblical | Boy | 131 #8 | |
| Calah | Originally a place name (ancient Assyrian city). As a personal name usually treated as a variant of Calla meaning "beauty," or linked to Kala with different regional meanings. | Assyrian, Biblical | Unisex | 68 #9 | |
| Olivet | Olive tree; Mount of Olives | Biblical, French | Girl | 48 #10 | |
| Gethsemane | Garden of the olive press (from Aramaic 'Gat Shemanim' meaning 'oil/olive press') | Biblical, Hebrew | Girl | 44 #11 | |
| Goliath | Name of a giant/warrior from the Bible; associated with great size and strength (etymology uncertain) | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | 43 #12 | |
| Pella | Associated with the ancient city Pella; as a diminutive of Petronella it is linked via Petros/Peter to 'rock' or 'stone'. | Aramaic, Biblical, Dutch, Greek, Scandinavian | Girl | 42 #13 | |
| Belah | Uncertain - commonly associated with 'beautiful' (from Bella) or tied to a Biblical/place-name origin; meaning varies by source. | Biblical, English, Latin | Girl | 11 #14 | |
| Dedan | Biblical name of uncertain meaning; possibly related to 'low' or from a family/place name associated with an ancient trading people | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | 5 #15 | |
| Abishag | 'my father is joy' / 'father rejoices' | Biblical, Hebrew | Girl | — | |
| Achiya | My brother is Yahweh (brother of God) | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | — | |
| Aenon | Springs, fountains; place of abundant water | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Agabus | Likely "locust" or "grasshopper" (from Hebrew/Aramaic 'agav') | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Ajalon | Place of deer; 'where the deer are' (from Hebrew 'ayal' = deer) | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | — | |
| Amraphel | Uncertain - name of a king in Genesis 14; possibly an Akkadian name or a corruption/identification with an ancient Mesopotamian ruler (e.g. Hammurabi or Amar‑Sin). | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | — | |
| Anammelech | Likely 'Anu is king' (Anu + melek); name of an ancient deity mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, 2 Kings 17:31. | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Arimathea | Place name of uncertain meaning; possibly 'high place' or related to 'heights' | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Aryajith Joshua | Aryajith: 'Arya' (noble) + 'jit' (victorious) - 'noble victor'. Joshua: Hebrew 'Yehoshua' - 'Yahweh is salvation'. Combined: 'noble victor; God is salvation.' | Biblical, Hebrew, Indian, Sanskrit | Boy | — | |
| Baalis | Likely "Baal is" or "Baal exists"; name of an Ammonite king mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | — | |
| Baca | Uncertain. In Spanish contexts likely related to 'Vaca' (cow) as a surname; in Hebrew/Biblical contexts linked to 'Baka' meaning 'weeping' or the 'valley of weeping'. | Biblical, Hebrew, Spanish | Unisex | — | |
| Dalmanutha | Name of a New Testament place; etymology uncertain | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Ekron | Name of an ancient Philistine city mentioned in the Hebrew Bible; exact meaning uncertain (likely from a Semitic root). | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | — | |
| Elath | Likely 'grove' or related to a tree (terebinth/oak); associated with the biblical port city | Biblical, Hebrew | Unisex | — | |
| Elymas | Traditionally interpreted as 'magician' or 'sorcerer' (name of a Jewish magician in Acts 13). | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Ezem | A biblical place name; exact meaning is uncertain or debated | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | — | |
| Gassur | Possibly connected to the biblical place-name Geshur; meaning uncertain - sometimes associated with the idea of a 'bridge' (Hebrew גשר) or with strength/fortress | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Golliath | Uncertain. The name's etymology is unclear; scholars propose non‑Semitic origins. Primarily known as the name of the biblical giant Goliath. | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Golyath | Name of the Philistine champion in the Hebrew Bible; etymology uncertain - possibly from a root meaning 'exile' or of non‑Semitic origin; popularly associated with 'giant' or 'mighty'. | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Haman | Uncertain; etymology disputed - traditional Persian name with no widely agreed meaning. | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Jafit | Derived from a Hebrew root meaning 'may He enlarge' or 'beautiful/enlarged'. | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Jezabela | A form of Jezebel, the name of a notorious biblical queen; etymology uncertain (often rendered as 'not exalted' or of unclear meaning). | Biblical | Girl | — | |
| Lebbeus | Heart; "man of heart" (from Hebrew/Aramaic root meaning "heart") | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Lois | Possibly "more desirable" or "better" (exact origin/meaning uncertain) | Biblical, Greek | Girl | — | |
| Lydda | From Lydia (an ancient region) or from the biblical town Lydda (Lod) | Biblical, Greek | Girl | — | |
| Manaen | Possibly "comforter" (related to Hebrew Menachem); exact meaning uncertain | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Mannah | From Hebrew מָן (man), referring to the biblical 'manna' - divine provision or 'bread from heaven', often rendered as 'gift' or literally 'what is it?'. | Biblical, Hebrew | Unisex | — | |
| Meshah | Uncertain; possibly 'anointed' if tied to a Hebrew root, or linked to Misha/Mikhail meaning 'who is like God' if treated as a variant | Biblical | Unisex | — | |
| Pul | Bridge (Hindi/Urdu); money (colloquial Persian); historically the name of an Assyrian king; can correspond to 'fire' when romanizing Korean 불 ('bul'). | Assyrian, Biblical, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Urdu | Boy | — | |
| Rephan | Name of a pagan idol or star/constellation mentioned in the Bible; literal meaning unknown; sometimes associated with the planet Saturn | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Resen | A biblical place name (city between Nineveh and Calah); etymology/meaning uncertain | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Sabtah | Uncertain - appears in the Hebrew Bible as a personal or tribal name; specific etymology is unclear | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | — | |
| Samgar | Uncertain; traditionally associated with a warrior - possibly 'striker' or 'attacker.' | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Sceva | Uncertain - etymology unclear; possibly related to Hebrew sheva ('seven' or 'oath') | Biblical | Boy | — | |
| Seir | Hairy, shaggy, rough (from Hebrew שֵׂעִיר) | Biblical, Hebrew | Boy | — |
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Biblical-origin name in our dataset.
